These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'surround.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of surround

Middle English, to flood, inundate, from Anglo-French surunder, from Late Latin superundare, to overflow, from Latin super- + unda wave; influenced in meaning by 5round — more at water

surround

Definition of surround

Examples of surround in a Sentence

the vast, featureless surround of the desert was strangely appealing to him

Recent Examples of surround from the Web

For their installation, SCAPE filled the elegant surrounds of the pavilion with low-tech materials used to combat erosion, like bundles of willow branches (collected and used by local fishermen), coir logs, and concrete blocks.

First protected by the National Park Service in 1864, the Grove has drawn over a million visitors annually seeking serenity in the surrounds of 500 mature giant sequoia trees, some as tall as 200 feet and as old as 1,800 years.

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'surround.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

surround

Definition of surround for Students

… my actions will help to dispel this terrible myth of evil that seems to surround rats everywhere.

—Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux

Word Root of surround

The Latin word unda, meaning “wave,” gives us the root und. Words from the Latin unda have something to do with waves. To undulate is to move up and down like a wave. To inundate is to cover with a flood of waves. To surround, or encircle on all sides, is to enclose as if by waves. To abound is to be plentiful, like waves in the ocean.